Does the large-investor route differ from the ordinary shareholder route?

The ordinary business route is based on holding shares in an Estonian company and investing at least EUR 65,000 in its activities. The large-investor route is a separate, higher-threshold category requiring a permanent direct investment of at least EUR 1,000,000 in an Estonian company that invests in the economy, or in an investment fund focused on Estonian companies. A 'permanent' investment is one that does not decrease during the permit's validity except due to market price fluctuations. Both still require sufficient income and health insurance.